Laila Ali, along with Hulk Hogan (yes, he’s still alive) host American Gladiators (yes, it’s back).

American Gladiators is back in a BIG way. (We can probably blame the writers’ strike, but whatever.) What’s even better…Hulk Hogan is back, baby! Ewww…?

American Gladiators first surfaced back in the early ’90s and then disappeared. But thanks in large part to a growing interest in a) reality TV and b) mixed martial arts/boxing/hot chicks like Laila Ali in boxing gloves, it’s making a huge comeback. Last week’s two-hour premiere drew over 12 million viewers and the folks over at NBC couldn’t be happier:

“We’re extremely excited by the response to ‘American Gladiators,’” said John Wallace, president of the NBC local media division. “By adding the show to our weekend afternoon lineup, we can expose the program to a new audience and benefit from the local ad opportunities. It’s a win-win for all involved.”

My personal opinion? I tried to watch it but ended up turning the channel…I think I watched another CSI: Miami re-run or something equally lame. It was just too painful to see Hulk Hogan back on TV after all these years. The dude looks really old. And I felt super embarrassed for Laila Ali, too. I mean…she’s Muhammad Ali’s daughter. Yikes.

Maybe it’s your thing…you can catch American Gladiators every Monday at 8/7 Central.